Austrian far-right leader is denied an award

Austria’s far-right leader, Heinz-Christian Strache will not be given a prestigious order of merit after allegedly making disrespectful Jewish remarks.

President Heinz Fischer has refused to hand over the award usually given to party leaders in Austria adding fuel to an on-going political row.

Strache was quoted in a national newspaper to have likened his own supporters to the persecution received by the Jews under the Nazis. Remarks said to have been made having run the gauntlet of opposition demonstrators. Strache has completely denied saying any such thing.

The incident dates back to Holocaust Remembrance Day last month when over 2,500 demonstrators held a protest condemning Strache and some of his party members for attending a far-right ball on such a sensitive evening.

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